A/N: Yes Stiles is a supernatural creature. Most of the characters are. There are still a few humans though and of course hunters and druids.
Stiles' POV
"Stiles? Stiles? STILES!" Scott repeats my name until he get my attention. "What's up? Is it Derek?"
"What? Why would it be Derek?" I ask worried what my friend is thinking.
"I meant has he threatened you again or something? Because you are sitting there spaced out and I had to yell at you just to get your attention. Plus you are sort of anxious", Scott explains.
I breathe a sigh of relief when I understand what my best buddy is thinking. "No it's nothing like that", I reply quickly. "He's not exactly ignoring me anymore but it's uncomfortable between us. We're back to where we were before we started school here together", I tell Scott and Isaac. They have both come to sit with me at dinner and it is nice to have someone to hang with but at the moment I'm not good company as I keep slipping into my own thoughts.
"Well that's better than him threatening you, right?" Isaac asks.
"Yeah I guess. It's just confusing. Maybe after a couple of days when I get used to things we will be okay again. Maybe it's something I did or maybe it had something t0 do with Paige", I murmur as I get lost in my head again.
"The witch?" Isaac asks confused.
"Yeah. Maybe he felt like I was hitting on his girl or something because he told me they broke up over summer. It was just after he started dating Paige that he began to be horrible to me", I remember.
"But that doesn't make sense does it? You never spent much time with Paige. I mean she is in our year but so is Jared and you hardly hang with him", Scott says.
"Why don't you tell me what it was then? Cos I have no other ideas", I raise my voice due to stress before I take a calming breath. "You know I'll see you tomorrow. I'm gonna get an early night", I say standing up and walking to clear my tray before I leave the hall. I hear them both call my name as I leave abruptly but I don't bother changing my mind. I also feel some eyes on me as I leave the hall but I don't care whose eyes they are. The only important people can get hold of me on my mobile if they are worried.
Entering my room again I throw myself on the bed and grab my iPod from the bedside drawer. Putting on my favourite playlist and turning the volume up loud I close my eyes and relax. Unfortunately I forgot to charge the thing and after twenty minutes or so the damn battery runs out. So I put it on charge over on the desk and resume my position on the bed listening to the silence around me with closed eyes. I hear when he arrives back at the room and I smell his scent as it permeated the room. He knows I'm not asleep I know that so I'm not surprised when he asks, "What was wrong with you at dinner?"
What does surprise me though is that he sits down on my bed by my feet and waits for me to answer. My eyes spring open as I mumble, "It was just Scott and Isaac. They were pushing a topic I didn't want to answer and I snapped."
"Oh" he said making a comical 'o' with his mouth. "Look I know last year was different for us. It was difficult. But I'm here if you need to talk to someone", he whispers before he pats my knee and moves to his desk across the room.
I watch him go in confusion. "Can we talk about last year?" I ask quietly as I sit up and wrap my arms around my knees, resting my chin on top of them. He freezes in the chair as he boots up his laptop and slowly turns to face me.
"If that's what you really want", he answers in a dead voice.
"Can you just tell me why?" I whisper back. I watch as he swallows and I hear his heart beat increase. He is terrified about answering this question I can smell it. I jump off my bed and climb quickly other his as I pull him into a hug desperate to relieve the fear I have inspired within him. "It's okay you don't have to tell me", I whisper as I run one hand through his hair and rub the other up and down his back. I want to know. Hell I need to know but I can't stand to see the guy I have a crush on in that sort of pain.
"No, you deserve to know. I just don't think I am ready yet to say it", he mumbles into my chest.
"Then don't. Tell me when you're ready", I whisper.
"Okay", he breathes. I release him and go back to my bed deciding I will get that early night I told my friends I wanted. I grab my pyjamas and go into the bathroom to change and brush my teeth. When I come back out a few minutes later I shove my clothes in the laundry basket I brought with me. I pull back the covers and lay down on my back staring at the ceiling.
"Can we just try to be friends again first? Like when we were younger?" I hear him whisper after a few moments of silence. The question shocks me because until he said it I didn't remember a time before when we were friends. Since about age nine I can only remember us fighting and the times before that were blurry. I don't consciously remember them. They are memories that only surface when something sparks them.
Flashback
We were over at the Hale place for Cora's fourth birthday. Mom had just driven us there and Derek was standing waiting on the porch with his mom. I smiled when I saw Derek's grin spread across his face. He started tugging on his mother's skirt and pointing excitedly towards us.
"Okay Derek", Talia ruffled his hair. "You can play outside in the back garden. I don't want you playing out the front where no one can see you." Derek nodded before he grabbed my hand and led me through the house to the back.
"Where is your dad?" Derek asked me as we sat on the swings side by side.
"He had to work", I answered. "Where's the rest of your family? I only saw your mom."
"Uncle Peter is in the library reading", Derek said pulling a face as if reading was a disgusting habit. "Dad and Laura went out to the store. I think they went to buy Cora a cake." I nodded to show I was listening while I sat on the swing. I was rather quiet that day which was unusual for me and Derek noticed straight away. "What's wrong?" he asked as he stopped swinging and looked over at me.
"Derek are you my best friend?" I asked uncertainly.
"I don't know", he replied which had me snap my head up to look at him. "I know you're my best friend and I hope I'm yours but that's up to you."
"I thought so too but there's this other werewolf at school who's my best friend too. And this other kid Jackson said I can't have two best friends only one", I mumbled dejectedly. "So do I have to choose between you two? I've know you longer but I really like him too."
"Why are you asking me? You're supposed to be the smart one", Derek teased me. "I don't know but Stiles even if you can only have one best friend and you choose the other kid. I'll always be your friend."
End of flashback
As I come out of the memory I realise I have been quiet for a long time and that I haven't answered Derek. "Sure we can be friends again", I tell him. I hear the sound of him shutting his laptop down and then the bathroom door close. I grab my iPod again now it had a little charge and put my earphones in so I can listen to some calming music. I have trouble sleeping but a few years back my mom discovered listening to soft music helped ease my brain to sleep. Derek comes back out the bathroom and gets into his own bed turning off the lights.
"Goodnight Stiles", I hear him whisper. I don't answer because it shocks me but also because I assume he thought I couldn't hear over the music. I am shocked he seems so open about starting things fresh but also overjoyed that I might get one of my oldest friends back at last. Before sleep claims me I decide to speak with Paige the first opportunity I got, while Derek isn't around. Whatever changed him back happened over summer when she broke up with him. She had to know what had caused his weird behaviour last year but I didn't want Derek to see us together in case it set him off again.
"Goodnight Derek", I mumble sleepily as my heavy eyelids close and my breathing evens out.
The next morning I regret trying to get an early night because I wake up far too early. I mean I'm awake before the sun has even risen properly. I open my eyes and look around the still tidy dorm room wondering how long that will last. I look over at my roomie and gasp as I feel myself get aroused at the sight I missed last night while I was staring at the ceiling. Derek lies in his bed shirtless and the sheets have bunched up around his groin leaving his muscular legs hanging over the side of the bed. The abs on his chest slowly rise and drop so he is still asleep but even in the low light I can make out the outline of his body and it takes my breath away. I lie there watching him aware of how creepy it would be if he woke up to find me staring at him yet unable to tear my gaze away. He chose the bed near the window and so as the first rays of sun light entered the window I watched as they lit up his skin making the hair on his head look darker. He begins to stir and I turn away.
"Morning", he calls to me as I lay facing the other direction. "Morning", I mutter in reply. I hear him yawn and stretch and I hate how much I like the sounds he is making.
"Did you sleep well?" he asks. It seems he is going to be true to his word and is trying to be the friend I lost years ago.
"Not really", I answer truthfully. "It's my own fault for trying to get an early night I guess. Do you mind if I use the bathroom first?" I ask. "I wanted to go for a walk round the grounds before breakfast."
"No go ahead", he mumbles sleepily. "I like to lie in bed for a while anyways."
I jump out of bed before he finishes speaking and head into the bathroom for my morning shower. I shower and took care of business as quickly as I can eager to get so distance. Yeah I know we agreed to try and be friends and I want to but for it to come out of the blue like that was unexpected and I am panicking. I hadn't bothered to get clothes out in my rush to leave the room so quickly so I am forced to enter the room with a towel wrapped around my waist when I finish. I move quickly to the dresser and find some boxers, jeans and socks. I grab a shirt from the wardrobe when he goes into the bathroom and dress quickly in case he comes back out quickly. As I finish buttoning up my shirt I realise my rush was unwarranted though since the shower has just started running.
I grab a pen and a pad of sticky notes from my desk and quickly left him a note. It is a little quirk of mine that Scott finds hilarious. If I ever can't speak to someone to tell them something then I leave a note.
Gone for a walk. See you later. Have a good first day.
I stick the note on his laptop where I think he will see it and pick up my bag which I packed last night ready for Monday morning. I leave the room and head out of the sophomore dorms taking a well practised walk around the grounds.
Derek's POV
I feel the first rays of sun coming through the window pane warming my skin. I think that is maybe what woke me. As I stir myself from my sleep I notice Stiles is already awake.
"Morning" I call over. I'm not totally awake yet so I act on instinct. If I was fully awake I probably would have done the same thing anyway after our very short conversation last night. I hear him mutter a morning back to me. I yawn and stretch my cramped muscles. Suddenly feeling a bit more awake I remember our discussion and I act to prove we can get back what we used to have when we were younger. "Did you sleep well?" I ask.
"Not really", he answers truthfully. "It's my own fault for trying to get an early night I guess. Do you mind if I use the bathroom first?" he asks me while I still feel rather groggy.
"No go ahead", I mumble sleepily. "I like to lie in bed for a while anyways." I close my eyes and relax my body in the warming sun rays as he departs for the bathroom. He is done in the bathroom rather quickly I note when he comes out looking slightly anxious. I can't help but let my eyes run over his body that the towel around his waist doesn't hide. I haven't seen him this naked for a long time. Like since we were seven or something. During that time we have both changed a lot. I don't know how he feels about my new physique but I find myself almost moaning at the muscles he hides under his clothing. I bit down hard on my lip to stop my moan from being heard. Luckily he doesn't see or hear anything as far as I can tell. While he grabs his clothes from the dresser I go into the bathroom so I can get ready too. Maybe if I'm quick I can join him on that morning walk.
When I finish in the bathroom I exit in a similar fashion hoping I can ask about joining him on that walk. To my disappointment he has already dressed and left. As I walk over to my bed I notice a green post-it note on top of my laptop.
Gone for a walk. See you later. Have a good first day.
I smile as I look at his neat handwriting. He has wished me a good first day which I take as a good sign. I also feel rather happy that he cared enough to leave me a little note. I look at the clock as I dry myself. It is six thirty which means the dining hall would be open for those who like an early morning breakfast. If I get there early enough maybe I can wave him over to join me when he comes in for breakfast.
I quickly check my schedule when I was dressed and gather the right equipment for the first day. Stuffing it in my back pack I leave the room and hurry off in search of breakfast.
I grab myself some orange juice and a bagel then join my family at a table. I sit there pretending to listen to Laura as she babbles on about some girl who picked a fight with her last night in the senior common room. I keep looking around the room hoping I will spot him coming in while trying to keep it subtle but obviously I failed. "What's wrong with you Derek? You looking for someone?" Cora asks as she elbows me in the side.
"No I'm good. Not looking for anyone", I mutter as I ignore the looks my family exchange and I go back to my now cold bagel that I'm not really interested in.
"Oh look here comes Stiles", Laura whispers to us. I whip my head round to look in that direction wondering how he got past me. There was no way he could have entered and walked past me without me seeing. I turn around and groan as my family laugh at my expense. Stiles wasn't really there.
"God, why do I sit with you people if you're just going to laugh at me", I mutter harshly. "Because we're family and we love you", mom smiles at me. "But seriously Derek you could be a little more subtle about things", she adds.
I look away from them and this time I so see Stiles. He is walking right towards us. Suddenly he is waving and I find myself waving back. He walks straight past us and I turn in my seat to see who he was waving to. Scott McCall and Isaac Lahey sit at a table a few rows behind us. "Oh burned!" Laura mocks me as I turn around again.
"Shut up would you", I growl at her. "I'm heading to class. See you all later."
Stiles' POV
I walk through the cafeteria looking for my two best buddies who had text me telling me to get my butt there if I wanted food before class because yeah I lost track of the time and classes start in twenty minutes. I spot them suddenly as Isaac waves at me. I wave back and move towards them. As I take my seat Scott scowls at me, "Why was Derek waving at you?"
"He was?" I say a little too excited. For that I get the double scowl feature as Isaac joins in. "I don't know. He's a puzzle, that one."
"What?" Scott asks me.
"I mean it's hard to know what he is thinking. I don't know where I stand with him", I explain because I realise it's my fault. Scott has never been a morning person and since it is before eight thirty it is definitely too early for him to understand idioms.
"Okay so did something happen?" Isaac asks me warily.
"Not really. I mean I went up to bed early last night and he appeared shortly after-", I say before Scott interrupts.
"-Yeah we saw him follow you up", Scott says quickly.
"Well I asked him why he was a jerk last year. I didn't get an answer", I say feeling uncomfortable. They are my best friends but I feel bad about telling them how broken Derek looked so I pass over that detail. "He asked if we could be friends again and I told him yes."
"Did he apologise for last year?" Isaac asks.
"Umm, no not exactly", I purse my lips.
"Is it no or not exactly?" Isaac demands softly.
"No. Okay he didn't apologise but he doesn't need to", I say defending Derek.
"Yes he does Stiles. You shouldn't have just let it go like that. At least not without getting an apology first", Scott says angrily, his voice rising in anger.
"No he doesn't Scott. I get that you are trying to look out for me. You too Isaac; I do but you weren't there. There are factors to this you don't get and I can't explain. Its personal and I want to thank you for both being there for me but you have to let me settle things with Derek in my own way and in my own time", I tell them angrily before I slip the bottle of water into my bag and storm off towards my first class.
